My husband tends to get on my case about taking forever when shopping -- at the mall or the grocery store or from the comfort of my couch on Amazon, doesn't matter. My response is always the same, no matter where he thinks I'm lollygagging: I need to read the labels! If you don't read before you buy, you never know what you're gonna get. Turns out even if you read sometimes.
At least that's the issue facing Kohl's shoppers. The department store was called out earlier this week by The Humane Society of the United States for "violating a federal law by selling real raccoon dog fur advertised as 'faux.'" The offending item: A men's parka, which The Humane Society bought and tested from the store's website.
Here's the pic ...
In turn, the store apologized to its customers, saying the company was unaware of the real fur. They also told USA TODAY they'll honor returns, "no questions asked."
But no doubt consumers are still feeling burned and skeptical. After all, back in December, The Humane Society found the store was selling rabbit fur handbags that were also marked "faux," making this recent incident its second in less than a year.
We allwant to believe that what we are buying is what it says it is -- whether it's fake fur, BPA-free plastic bottles, or hypoallergenic jewelry or cosmetics. We want to believe that we can trust not just the store we're shopping in, but the brands we're spending our hard-earned cash on.
What's more, voting with your pocketbook is a very real thing most of us realize we're doing -- at least when it comes to certain, politically charged purchases like fur or organic food or recycled paper goods. And to feel like you've been misled as a consumer, particularly one trying to make a conscious, educated purchase, is beyond icky!
Makes you wonder: Who can we trust?
More from The Stir: Faux Fur: Yay or Nay?
That said, the Kohl's fiasco is just another reminder that we have no choice but to do our homework to ensure what you're seeing is what you're getting. Reading fabric tags and maybe even calling the clothing manufacturer directly may be necessary to confirm "faux" fur isn't, indeed, from an animal.
It's unfortunate that we as consumers have to jump through so many hoops to make sure our money is being spent on goods that reflect our beliefs, but until more transparency is required by all retailers, guess it's all we can do!
How would you feel if an item you were led to believe was faux fur was actually real?
Images via iStock.com/itsskin & Pierre Grzybowski, The Humane Society